Latest news with #BrianWindhorst
Daily Mail
4 hours ago
- Sport
- Daily Mail
Ace Bailey fuels Utah Jazz holdout speculation following NBA Draft surprise
Ace Bailey has fueled speculation that he will holdout from the Utah Jazz, with the ex-Rutgers star reportedly yet to report to his new team. Bailey did not work out for Utah ahead of the draft, and the franchise was not one of his 'preferred destinations', ESPN's Jonathan Givony reported previously. Bailey later said on draft night that he had 'no idea' Utah were interested in him at No. 5. On Friday, Givony's ESPN colleague Brian Windhorst revealed on SportsCenter that Bailey has had 'minimal contact' with the Jazz, who expect him to be in Salt Lake City by the start of summer league training camp on Monday. Meanwhile, Bailey's new teammate and fellow-first round pick Walter Clayton Jr. has already reported to the Jazz, Windhorst said on Thursday night. 'The Jazz have said [Bailey not reporting yet] is not an issue, they allow their new players to go home,' Windhorst said on the late-night edition of SportsCenter with Scott Van Pelt. 'But he will be expected to be there on Monday when their summer league training camp begins. So, let's see.' Brian Windhorst: "Danny Ainge & his son, Austin, are not gonna bend here. They are not gonna get pushed around." SVP: "This seems kinda ridiculous to me. [Ace Bailey is] good, but he's not this good. To be trying to dictate to people don't take me. Like, what the hell is that?" — Awful Announcing (@awfulannouncing) June 27, 2025 Windhorst added that Utah Jazz CEO and his son, newly-hired president of basketball operations Austin, 'are not gonna bend' when it comes to a potential holdout from Bailey. 'They are not gonna get pushed around... the idea that they're gonna pressure the Jazz into something, I don't think will be successful for Ace Bailey and his operation. But let's see how the next 72 hours plays out,' he said. Prior to the draft, Givony reported that Bailey's agent, Omar Cooper, had told at least one team in the top five that Bailey would not report if they decided to draft him. It's unclear if that team was the Jazz. Bailey was reportedly trying to engineer himself being drafted by the Wizards, Pelicans or Nets, who all drafted after the Jazz. Amid the latest reports regarding Bailey, a representative from his agency insisted on Friday that he's 'thrilled' to be going to Utah. Bailey's agent Cooper is not certified by the NBAPA, so the forward is also being represented by GSE Worldwide. 'Obviously it's an honor to be selected in the top 5 of the NBA Draft, and we think he can do a lot of great things out there, GSE president Andrew Witlieb told FOS Today. 'He certainly should get a ton of playing time and he'll have a lot of chances to show what he can do, so we think it's a great situation for him basketball wise.' Wittlieb did note that the pre-draft process, in which Bailey chose not to work out with any teams, was 'led' by Cooper. 'Omar really focused more on fit than going third in the draft kind of thing,' Wittlieb said. While the Jazz did not get the chance to workout Bailey in person, they badly need an injection of talent on their roster after winning just 17 games last year. They'll hope that changes with Clayton Jr. and (hopefully) Bailey on the roster.
Daily Mail
10 hours ago
- Entertainment
- Daily Mail
ESPN analyst accused of mocking colleague's weight with savage on-air comment
ESPN analyst Mike Tannenbaum has found himself in hot water after seemingly mocking colleague Brian Windhorst about his weight while on-air. The incident occurred during Friday's broadcast of 'Get Up', where ESPN's team of analysts sit down to discuss the latest news from across the sport world. However, during the segment, Tannenbaum appeared to take an unnecessary swipe at his colleague, which lefts fans confused. The panel were discussing Aaron Rodgers and whether he could deliver a first playoff win for the Pittsburgh Steelers since 2016. Tannenbaum was asked whether he was 'convinced' over Rodgers, to which he replied: 'No! I'm more convinced that Windy [Windhorst] is in the cafeteria!'. His fellow panelists attempted to laugh off the comment, with Dan Graziano swiftly interjecting: 'No idea where Windy is'. did Mike Tannenbaum just make fun of Brian Windhorst's weight on national TV? — Eric Italiano (@eric_ital) June 27, 2025 The clip emerged on social media the following day after one user posted it with the caption: 'Did Mike Tannenbaum just make fun of Brian Windhorst's weight on national TV?' Tannenbaum - who was previously the general manager and senior VP of football operations for the New York Jets - has been part of ESPN's analyst team since 2019. Prior to those roles, he was also the executive vice president of operations for the Miami Dolphins for three years. It comes as the latest blunder on ESPN's broadcasts after a hilarious slip of the tongue saw Fox Sports host Colin Cowherd accidentally announced as a pick during this week's NBA Draft. With the 11th pick on Wednesday night, the Portland Trail Blazers selected Cedric Coward from Washington State. But as cameras cut to the 21-year-old celebrating with his loved ones, ESPN anchor Malika Andrews announced that Portland had picked 'Colin Cowherd'. 'This is a young man with the ultimate bet-on-yourself story,' Andrews continued. Alas, Colin Cowherd is a 61-year-old sportscaster with Fox Sports who hosts 'The Herd'. He made light of ESPN's error on social media. 'Apparently, I made a hell of an impact in Portland,' Cowherd wrote.
Yahoo
a day ago
- Sport
- Yahoo
ESPN's second-round NBA Draft coverage began with tedious conversation no one asked for
It turns out that ESPN's insistence on shoving its television personalities down its audience's throat isn't limited to the grating Stephen A. Smith. Even worse, in tandem, it seems the NBA is all too committed to being late to the start time of the NBA Draft, not just its games. On Friday night, the NBA world eagerly awaited the start of the second round of the 2025 NBA Draft at the listed start time of 8:00 p.m. Eastern. And waited. And waited. And waited. It took nearly 20 minutes for the first pick of the second round (Rasheer Fleming to the Phoenix Suns) to go off the board. Advertisement How did ESPN fill the gap created by a clearly delayed (intentionally or not) start of the second round, you might ask? It had its NBA studio panel, featuring Malika Andrews, Jay Bilas, Bobby Marks, Bob Myers, and Brian Windhorst, conduct random chit-chat about developments from the first round of the draft. Again, this happened, with everyone else twiddling their thumbs waiting for the draft to start. It was almost as if the network and the NBA decided to let a much-criticized studio panel flex its muscles to a skeptical and impatient viewing audience. What ESPN continues to fail to understand is that people still want the live analysis and conversation to be better. They still want people who can talk about basketball with nuance and focus on basketball to be featured more. At the same time, though, they don't want that conversation to preempt the actual basketball or hopeful basketball team-building. The analysis is not the star of the coverage, and it never has been. It's a comforting conduit to let people tune in for what they really want to pay attention to, nothing more. It's also not as if anyone who wants to watch the draft has another option to watch outside of ESPN, which kind of feels like something the network readily takes advantage of. As such, ESPN's continued response to criticism feels perfunctory. It also shows that it's probably not entirely listening to what people are saying. But is anyone surprised there? Advertisement Until the network understands this dynamic (to be candid, it probably does, but chooses not to), it seems we're destined to keep running on this hamster wheel of failure. Hoops fans couldn't believe that even the start of the NBA draft's second round was late: This article originally appeared on For The Win: NBA Draft start time on Friday was delayed because of ESPN
Yahoo
a day ago
- Sport
- Yahoo
Brian Windhorst Hints at Big Push From Heat For Another Superstar Still On the Table
Brian Windhorst Hints at Big Push From Heat For Another Superstar Still On the Table originally appeared on Athlon Sports. ESPN's Brian Windhorst has sparked speculation about the Miami Heat's future moves, suggesting a strategic wait for a bigger prize than Kevin Durant. Advertisement In a recent appearance on the Rich Eisen Show, Windhorst noted that teams, including possibly the Heat, are holding back assets, hinting at a larger target. "I'm reacting off teams' actions. When you see teams not go after KD, to save their assets, for something bigger," Windhorst said, leaving fans and analysts guessing. The implication? The Heat might be eyeing Giannis Antetokounmpo, despite recent trade proposal setbacks due to limited assets. Windhorst's comments align with the Heat's history of bold moves, but also highlight the challenges posed by their current roster and draft capital constraints. Advertisement Pat Riley's cautious approach, as Windhorst suggests, could be a calculated risk, banking on Antetokounmpo's potential willingness to leave the Milwaukee Bucks. Milwaukee Bucks forward Giannis Antetokounmpo© Trevor Ruszkowski-Imagn Images This theory gains traction given the Heat's reputation as a desired destination for stars, as shown by LeBron James signing with them in the 2010 free agency. However, the feasibility of such a move remains uncertain, with the Heat's ability to outbid other contenders in question due to the assets they may view as untouched. After failing to put up a sufficient enough offer to land superstar forward Kevin Durant, Pat Riley and the Heat have lost a significant amount of momentum in the NBA offseason thus far. Advertisement Windhorst's insight reignites hope among Heat fans, but also underscores the high stakes and unpredictable nature of NBA trades. As the offseason unfolds, all eyes will be on Miami's next big play. Related: Dwyane Wade Makes Stunning Admission on LeBron James Being 'Greatest Heat Player Ever' This story was originally reported by Athlon Sports on Jun 25, 2025, where it first appeared.
Yahoo
a day ago
- Sport
- Yahoo
ESPN Fans Praising TV Analyst For NBA Finals Performance
ESPN Fans Praising TV Analyst For NBA Finals Performance originally appeared on The Spun. ESPN has taken plenty of criticism for its coverage of the 2025 NBA Finals, but at least one analyst received praise for his performance on Monday night. Advertisement Following the Oklahoma City Thunder's victory over the Indiana Pacers, ESPN's Brian Windhorst and Iman Shumpert offered their thoughts on Game 5. Windhorst has been one of the top NBA reporters for ESPN since joining the network in 2010. As for Shumpert, he partnered with Disney and ESPN this past October to create a documentary series. Although he's not often shown on TV, he proved this week that he's more than capable of taking on a larger workload. Shumpert, a former first-round pick and NBA champion, did an excellent job breaking down Oklahoma City's tenacious defense during his postgame conversation with Windhorst. Not only did fans rave about Shumpert's performance, some said he should receive a prominent role for ESPN's coverage of the 2025-26 season. OKLAHOMA CITY, OK - JUNE 8: Brian Windhorst and Iman Shumpert talk after the game between the Indiana Pacers and the Oklahoma City Thunder during Game Two of the 2025 NBA Finals on June 8, 2025 at Paycom Center in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma.(Photo by Nathaniel S. Butler/NBAE via Getty Images)Nathaniel S. Butler/Getty Images "Shumpert brought his A game," one fan wrote on X. Advertisement "I like how he explained the things that players do outside of scoring, which I don't hype up anyway because I already know what players can consistently get buckets. Players can be effective in other ways though," a second fan said. "Shumpert always gives great explanation of the game. He wasn't a superstar, but he was a very good role player and knew how to perfect his role. I hope he gets a contract with one of these networks or podcast," a third fan wrote. "Shumpert should replace [Kendrick] Perkins," another fan suggested. "He actually knows and can talk hoops." At 34 years old, Shumpert has plenty of time to rise up the ranks. Advertisement Luckily for Shumpert, NBC and Prime Video will be looking for NBA analysts this summer. That could lead him to landing a marquee job. The NBA Finals will resume on Thursday with Game 6. We'll see if Shumpert gets a chance to showcase his broadcasting skills once again. Related: Stephen A. Smith Has 3-Word Message For His Solitaire Critics ESPN Fans Praising TV Analyst For NBA Finals Performance first appeared on The Spun on Jun 17, 2025 This story was originally reported by The Spun on Jun 17, 2025, where it first appeared.
